The message that “New Democracy can reconcile the call for stability with the call for change, precisely because we do not feel that we have done everything right” was conveyed by the Deputy Prime Minister, Kostis Hatzidakis.
In a speech at an event titled: “Challenges and Opportunities for Greece in 2030,” organized by the Konstantinos Karamanlis Institute for Democracy, the Secretariat of Former New Democracy Officials, and the New Democracy Prefectural Executive Committee of Thessaloniki Prefecture, Kostis Hatzidakis explained that “today, New Democracy is the party that embodies continuous national renewal. Just as Konstantinos Karamanlis envisioned it in 1974, when he came forward promoting radical changes, preserving what was right, changing many practices, yet remaining steadfast on the path of common sense and national responsibility.”
He added that “in elections around the world, the dilemma for governments is ‘stability and security,’ while the message from opposition parties is ‘change.’ In Greece, the message of ‘stability and security’ can be adequately supported by the government of New Democracy and Kyriakos Mitsotakis. The message of “change” cannot be supported by the opposition parties. Because if one looks there, one will see in some of them far-fetched theories, letters from Jesus, conspiracy theories, and the like—certainly not serious approaches. They’ll see hostility, toxicity, and hatred that offer no solution to any young person seeking a future in this country. It is each person’s ego and character that are reflected in these things. And they will also see an old-fashioned and outdated populism, reminiscent of the past decade and the worst aspects of modern Greek history. So there is no change on the horizon.”
As he characteristically noted, referring to the World Cup, “on the one hand, we have a well-organized team with a captain, players, and a system. That’s New Democracy and Mitsotakis. And on the other hand, we see various groups that can’t find players or put together a starting lineup, can’t organize their system, and can’t offer any credible alternative for the country.”
The 4 pillars of the social program
Kostis Hatzidakis also presented the four key pillars of New Democracy’s social program for the next four years, which aresupport for families, addressing the housing crisis, equal opportunities for all, and regional development. Specifically, he stated:
1. Family: “The New Democracy program will place great emphasis on the institution of the family. Not only because of demographic factors, but because we consider the family to be the building block of society. We will implement a series of family support measures centered on reconciling family and professional life. These initiatives will allow young couples to leave their children at a daycare center or an all-day school—one that is truly open all day.”
2. Housing: “30% of Greeks do not own a home and are suffering from rising housing costs. So here there will be a massive social housing program and, more generally, measures to incentivize supply so that we have more homes on the market and, in this way, keep prices in check. So far, we have implemented 44 different housing initiatives. But I am referring to an overall upgrade of our policy.”
3. Equal Opportunities: “A child on an island, in a mountain village, or in the Greek provinces as a whole should have the same opportunities—as far as possible—as a child in Athens. This is a message of social justice, and we must take it as seriously as possible.”
4. Regional development: “When it comes to regional development, Macedonia and Northern Greece as a whole must be very high on our list of priorities. Beyond the projects underway in various regions, mainly in Thessaloniki, which are unprecedented, we must, by making full use of the state’s investment incentives and tools, actively support the development of our Macedonia and our Thrace.”
As the Deputy Prime Minister noted, social policy, together with the economy and a strong Greece, constitute the key pillars of the “Agenda 2030.”
In the economy, the key priority will be increasing productivity through technological modernization, leveraging Artificial Intelligence, research and technology, and EU funding for the 2028–2034 period.
And for a strong Greece, beyond the alliances and defense procurement programs already underway, there will be additional initiatives in energy and telecommunications networks and digital infrastructure that will make Greece stronger. “Because, both in terms of climate change and technological developments, we are entering an era fraught with risks. Therefore, we must have a country that is resilient in the face of this challenging environment.”
“We’re not pretending there are no problems; we acknowledge our mistakes and are trying to correct them,” Kostis Hatzidakis concluded. “We highlight the achievements, which were, in the final analysis, the achievements of the Greek people. Above all, however, we look ahead and work toward the future. The 200 years of national independence must be identified with national successes. This is not the time to repeat the myth of Sisyphus, and we will not do so. We will move forward with responsibility, seriousness, and true patriotism,” he concluded.
